Working to build a stronger community by addressing issues related to health, education and income.

Apples Take the Prize

About this blog

By Anne Kirchner

United Way of McPherson County is working to build a stronger community by addressing issues related to health, education and income. We believe conversations and intensive listening are the best ways to understand the real problems and move
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United Way of McPherson County is working to build a stronger community by addressing issues related to health, education and income. We believe conversations and intensive listening are the best ways to understand the real problems and move beyond short-term solutions. Community change can be accomplished through broad participation and collaboration. We encourage McPherson County residents to be involved with their community through giving, advocating and volunteering. By working together we can make a larger impact on the issues at hand.

Recently I entered a dessert contest to support a friend who was having difficulty recruiting entrees for her organization's fundraiser. My weekend was full of activities including my daughter's volleyball tournament, my son's cross country meet, a presentation for my work and a wedding for which I prepared the cake. Did I really have time to commit to another task? When it comes to friends, I have difficulty saying "no" so I found time to prepare the dessert.The only requirement for the contest was that the dessert had to include apple as an ingredient. Years ago I discovered a Spanish apple tart which was a combination of a sweet hand-made pastry filled with layered cinnamon apples and a homemade custard similar to flan. It is an attractive dessert as the apples line the pastry in a pinwheel design. My only concern was whether the dessert would be sweet enough for the average American dessert judge!Thus, I decided to seek an alternative tart option and searched the Internet. I discovered a similar concept using a cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk filling topped with apple pie filling. I altered the graham cracker crust by adding chopped pecans and cinnamon. After pouring in the cream cheese mixture, which resembled a cheesecake consistency and flavor, I added the canned apples. It was painful to used canned apple pie filling. Had time allowed, I would have created a homemade apple filling with diced fuji apples, cinnamon, honey and maybe a little bit of nutmeg. The tart baked for 20 minutes and then I topped the apples with pecans mixed with cinnamon sugar. Another 10 minutes of baking resulted in toasted, buttery nuts and a delightful looking dessert. But would it be just right to win the contest? To be honest, I really didn't care because I know my efforts were helping a friend.I'm happy to report my dessert won first place, which included a $100 cash prize. The event required a $10 entry fee and I probably invested $10 in ingredients. Hmmm...an $80 prize for helping a friend. I guess you can't beat that!